Most birth parents want to have some say in who adopts their child. If this is true of your situation, you might not know what to look for when it comes to choosing a family. At Adoption Makes Family you will have the help of a trained, licensed counselor to help you look and profiles and make your decision when you work with our adoption agency. Here are some characteristics that you might want to look for when it comes to choosing an adoptive family for your child:
- Stability – This extends to financial stability, but financial stability is not as important as simply providing a stable home life for the child. This means a home life in which the child’s situation is not in flux. They can rely on having a roof over their head, food on the table, and at least one parent that they can rely on. Many birth parents decide to create an adoption plan specifically because they are not able to provide their child with that kind of stability. It can be difficult to determine, just from reading a profile, whether or not a family will be able to provide that. Many adoption agencies will do home visits, so that they can see what that individual or couple’s home life is actually like, so that they have a much better idea of how stable it is.
- Readiness – Does the adoptive family seem like they are ready to take on the responsibility of raising a child? You might not feel like you are a good judge of this, but it is still a good idea to see if you, as a birth parent, feel that the prospective adoptive parents are ready to take on a child.
- Preferences – When creating an adoption plan, you might have an idea of how the future will look for both you and your child. You might still want to be involved in the child’s life. If the adoptive family you are considering do not want you to be involved in your child’s life in the future, they may not be the right set for you. On the other hand, they may want a level of involvement that you are not comfortable with. Alternatively, you may be unsure about what you want to do in the future, but they are not comfortable with leaving the matter open. Before choosing a family, you may want to discuss their preferences so that conflict doesn’t occur in the future.
- Beliefs – You might be looking for adoptive family with a certain set of beliefs. You might be looking for kindred spirits who are simply better prepared to raise a child. While not all birth parents will care if the adoptive family follows certain beliefs or live a certain lifestyle. However, if you do, this is definitely something to consider when choosing the people who will ultimately raise your child.
When looking at profiles, you might be overwhelmed and confused, especially if there are many suitable options. You should never feel pressured into making one decision or another. Sitting with a counselor and discussing your options openly is often the best way to make this decision, though you can also make it entirely on your own, if you prefer. One of the benefits of working with an adoption agency, like Adoption Makes Family, is that you know that the parents have been thoroughly evaluated before their profiles are put in front of you.